day 35: also oslo

I must be going gaga over the Kings card game because I cannot stop rhyming, which explains the title.

We left Bodo extremely early this morning at 6.50am after having breakfast. I had my last 'Chocolate Therapy' cookie and said goodbye to Oyvind, his lovely home, our new Norwegian friends, and all the food and snacks I tried and loved.

Jerrain and I were supposed to drop our luggage when we arrive in Oslo at 9am to explore the city. We were so exhausted that the hour long train ride into town seemed like too big a task for the day. We decided to take it easy and hang out at the airport for 12 hours! There was a row of comfortable couchettes, but sleeping on it for five hours straight left me with a very numb butt.

Since we were going to be in London for just 23 hours, we decided to stay at one of the airport hotels, Yotel. It is a cool mini hotel with cabins that could fit two people, but really just comfortable for one. Jerrain and I needed to stay on the bed just so we had sufficient
standing and moving space.

• Location: Oslo Norway and London Britain
• Cost: 68nok pasta at airport, 12nok crisps, 20nok hot chocolate, 35nok orange juice, €4.60 chicken salad sandwich and water, €30 chocolates from Thorntons, €20 tea, €8 M&S
• Highlight: It was not easy waiting at an airport for 12 hours, but having Jerrain with me made it a lot more bearable. I particularly enjoyed our HTH (heart-to-heart) chat - one of many throughout this trip - about what we learnt and experienced in the last 30 over days.

day 34: farewell dinner party

Leaving Ilsoya, the summer house, was swift, but not painless. By this time, we were more experienced with putting on the water safety suits and Oyvind had a softer dock with the small boat. While everything was going a lot smoother, I was not as happy as when I first arrived. I felt like the little green monster who appears at the end of every episode of Gag and screams "Mommy, it's over!!". Jerrain and Oyvind managed to coax me into leaving Soranoy, or South Eagle Island, without being dragged on to the boat.

We caught a quick nap during the one hour ferry ride to Bodo and gathered enough energy to do some light trekking on Keiservarden. We strolled pass two small lakes which Oyvind used to spend a lot of time at as a child. There was a drizzle but we strived on to the peak which took us about an hour. It felt great to be at the summit although the views would have been better if it was not as cloudy.

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for the dinner party. Oyvind invited his good friends, Tom, Frida and Arild over for dinner, wine and Rock Band. I helped prepare dinner by doing lots of chopping (and dancing to Lady Gaga). For dinner, we had:

• Bruschetta with chorizo sausage and feta cheese
• Beef roast with mixed vegetables and thyme potatos
• Vanilla ce cream with raspberry purée and chocolate sauce drizzle
• Four and a half bottle of wine

Location: Bodo, Norway
Cost: 99nok ferry back to Bodo
Highlight: Sharing lives and travel stories with our new Norwegian friends over a home-cooked dinner and wine. It warmed my heart to see how we could easily share a joke despite our cultural differences. And I do not know anyone who did not enjoy jamming on Rock Band!

day 33: the summer house

The maroon house sat right by the water. It had a wooden platform just in front which would be perfect for barbeques on warm(ish) summer afternoons. The living room and kitchen were bright and spacious, with unobstructed views of the sea and mountains. There was more than enough rooms for each of us.

While I made the bed, Jerrain and Øyvind prepared dinner. They obviously did not trust my cooking skills, probably the wisest decision for the day. We had oven roasted pork, baked carrots and garlic butter mashed potatoes.

The short walk around the island earlier in the day worked up an appetite it seemed - we finished all the food, even I did. During the walk, we passed the other few houses on the island which belonged to Oyvind's relatives. We spotted a duck and her nest of eggs. While we frightened most of the sheep away, one of them was a little more friendly. We needed to watch where we walked because there was poop scattered around. I do not think the sheep were toilet-trained.

The ferry ride to the island was challenging. We faced fierce currents on the open sea almost immediately after leaving Bodo. The boat rocked so hard we were flung up off our seats a couple of times.

• Location: Soranoy, Norway
• Cost: 99nok boat to Ilsoya
• Highlight: Lunch with Oyvind's parents at their lovely home. Oyvind's mum baked salmon and mixed vegetables which were absolutely delicious. We finished the meal with strawberries, covered with sugar and double cream.

day 32: up in the air

It felt great to check in my backpack (still 15 kilograms) and travel in style and comfort. We left Rome Italy for the eleventh and last country, Norway. Øyvind was excited to show us his home. Jerrain and I are equally - if not more - thrilled to be in Norway for the first time.

We transitted in Oslo airport for a couple of hours where I had one of my most expensive lunches on this trip. For 190nok (approximately €24), I had two chicken legs, mashed potato and a bottle of lemon tea.

Finally, we landed in Bodo. After a quick detour to the supermarket and a short tour of Oyvind's home, we went up to a mountain just five minutes away to enjoy the midnight sun. At 12.30am in the morning, it was bright enough to see the mountain across the sea. We could not see the sun because it was too cloudy but it was fascinating just being in daylight when it was so late. To top the amazing view, we enjoyed a bottle of Riesling and crisps while we sat on the mountain.

At that moment, I knew Bodo stole my heart. With the moutain and the sea, it was difficult to stay faithful to Interlaken as my favourite stop in Europe. And this was just the first evening.

• Location: Rome Italy and Bodo Norway
• Cost: €14 train to FCO airport, €1.10 crisps, €5.90 baci chocolates, €4.90 sandwiches, 190nok lunch at Oslo Airport
• Highlight: Sharing breathtaking views with Oyvind and Jerrain over Riesling (and coke for Oyvind who was driving).

minus 50 days: i'm coming!

Eight countries in 37 days is a lot to manage. New places to check out, new friends to make, new food to savour. Sometimes, it helps to have some familiar faces along the way to ease all the excitement.

So, with less than two months to go, I sent a shout out to my friends, saying "I'm coming!". These are the poor souls who are going to give up their bed, bathroom, and couch for the few days Jerrain and I are over.

Friend #1: Serene
Country: Britain

Where did we meet: Singapore Management University
How did we meet: Christian Fellowship
Friends since: Sept 2001

She went to Coventry to do her Masters last October, and I have been dying to go visit her. Now that she has started dating someone there, my girlies have entrusted me with the mission to check out who this lucky guy is. I heard he is a good cook, but I promise I will not be bought over with just some fancy home-cooked food.

Friend #2: Norie
Country: France

Where did we meet: Singapore Airlines
How did we meet: Worked together in the HR dept
Friends since: August 2005

A French man swept her off her feet and stole her from us in 2006. Having visited her in Paris three years ago, I can see why she left her friends behind. Joel, her hubby, is the most charming and caring guy. He showed us around and even whipped up an authentic four course French meal! I promised Norie I will go back to visit her, so it is about time.

Friend #3 (and #4): Chris and Øyvind
Country: Norway

Where did we meet: New York
How did we meet: Along the corridor of Jazz Hostel
Friends since: July 2009

My first taste of Norway and I am hooked. These crazy dudes made me fall in love with New York over and over again. Met them the first night I arrived, and we hung out every night till they had to leave. If Norwegians are all like these two, I am sure it is going to be a blast. They are the reason why I am spending almost a third of my time up North!

minus 68 days: say (swiss) cheese

I have learnt quite a bit about the Swiss culture from Martin since last August. I made Swiss cheese fondue infused with white wine, picked up a few lines of Swiss-German, and ate more Lindt and Toblerone than ever before.

Last evening, we met up for Botak Jones' ribeye steak and chicken wings, then got down to discuss some places he would classify as 'must-see's.

One of the most exciting places was in Norway. Kjeragbolten is a 5m³ boulder wedged in a mountain crevasse by the edge of the Kjerag mountain. Martin was standing on the rock without any safety equipment. If he had missed a step, it would have been a 1000m drop! It is great for base jumping. Perhaps Jerrain would be game.